The Life After Death
by LaRire
Summary: What happens when SG-1 finds a world devoted to the study of Death? What happens when they bring an artifact back from that world that disrupts our own, and the local Shinigami can't deal with it? Urahara is dragged into it, and he isn't going anywhere without his "feline" friend and his protege! No pairings and no major action, merely a prequel WIP...
1. Chapter 1: The Problem

AN: OK, so this idea just came up and bit me in the butt tonight…it's probably only going to be a two-chapter piece, but I may see fit to add to it as ideas come to me, just like my other fic. For those that are waiting for updates on King's Division: I haven't forgotten it in the least. It's just that the computer I was using kind of up and died on me about 7 months ago…and my techie-brother hasn't had the time to pull my plot and pre-done chapters from the hard drive yet.

Also, this is my first attempt at a crossover. I am by no means an expert in SG1, I just have a passable knowledge…that morphed into this beast that has kept me up for most of the night. It has also been inspired by several other SG1/Bleach crossovers on the site…so if you see something familiar, that may be why.

Disclaimer: As always, I do not in any way, shape, or form own Stargate: SG1 or Bleach. They and their characters belong to their respective owners.

* * *

~*~The Life after Death~*~

It was on a bright, seemingly summer-ish day that it happened. It was as the team composed of American soldiers, an archiologist, and one alien who housed an infantile symbiote decided that the ruined planet they were visiting held nothing of interest for them, or for the greater good of the peoples known to the rest of the Universe as the Tau'ri. The only thing that Colonel Jack O'Neill really found interesting was the fact that the planet had several very good lakes that, if found on Earth, would have made fantastic fishing holes. What interested one of his best friends, however, was the fact that the entire planet…was a city. A city that, for all intents and purposes, seemed to be a tribute or a monument to Death, capitol "D" included, according to what he had deciphered from the Ancient texts located at the entrances to many buildings and on what Jack started to call, "Glorified Ancient Signposts."

"OK, Daniel…let's start packing up. It just looks like this group of Ancients decided that they liked to study Death. A lot. Actually, this place is kinda creeping me out." Jack exaggerated a shiver as both Daniel Jackson and Major Samantha Carter rolled their eyes at their commanders theatrics.

"Sir, pardon my saying, but this place may have a lot to teach us about the Ascension process that the ancients used. Yea, there's no technology really to be found, but if we could only decipher what's on these blocks and those pillars-," here Jack started to cough, sounding suspiciously like 'signposts,' "-we may even be able to discover how to recreate other facets of their technology."

"Let's not forget their culture either, Sam." Daniel scratched the side of his nose, unintentionally getting graphite from his pencil that he was holding in the same hand along his cheek. "I mean, I haven't seen anywhere quite like this place that the Ancients built, or even the specific dialect that they used when writing all of this, which suggests that they created this place before any of the texts we have now. Yea, plenty of other cultures were fascinated by death and what happens beyond, but-"

"Alright, alright! I get it. I guess Teal'c and I will stand here. Out of your way…but only for an hour more. Then we have to at least check in…and I would rather I get a jump-start on my leave time than wait until you all decide you have decoded the entire planet." Jack kicked a rock off to the left of the two scientists, and everyone, Jack especially, was surprised by what that little motion did to the infrastructure of one of the buildings.

It was a one-level building without any writing or windows visible from the outside. There was only one door, and after checking it earlier, they discovered that it was locked either from the inside or—more probably—by a force that Humanity didn't understand quite yet. However, that one, eye-sized rock caused the entire external part of the building to change the moment it came into contact with the middle of the wall. It was like watching glass break from a giant panel into a million tiny pieces, all falling in itself. It peeled away the brown material that created the siding of the building to show a vibrant white rock wall. The moment it was uncovered, all the nearby tech and generators sparked—all strangely in the opposite direction of the building—then died, as if all the power inside then was pulled or pushed out of the devices. Jack stood stone-still, then, with a sheepish expression on his face, said, "Oops?"

Teal'c, who up to that point had been silent, merely raised an eyebrow and said, "Indeed. However, I must point out that you kicked that rock towards the building on purpose, so any destruction will be solely your fault."

The corner of Jack's mouth quirked up. "Teal'c! Did I just hear you make a funny?"

Teal'c's face was still frozen with one eyebrow quirked.

"Forget that, Jack. Did you see what it did to our equipment? I think that we need to take the materials—a flake of the wall insulated by chunks of the siding and some of the dust, too—and take them back to SGC to be analyzed. And look at the writing that was covered up by this…insulation?" Daniel looked at Sam to see if she agreed as to the purpose of the siding material. At her nod, he continued. "I mean, this isn't Ancient at all, but a very primitive form of Japanese and Chinese mixed together. I can only read a few words, but the ones I can make out are very promising."

Jack stared at Daniel, then looked at Sam. "Am I the only one that can appreciate the fact that Teal'c made a joke, no matter how dry? Really?"

Sam shook her head and smiled, watching as Daniel pulled a few of his archaeological tools out of a case. "Sorry, Colonel," she said, patting him once on the shoulder. "Sometimes we find things more interesting than humor."

This thoroughly baffled Jack enough that he was quiet, contemplating how to seek revenge—and, of course, proper understanding of practical jokes—against and for the two science nerds once they got back…and after his long-awaited fishing trip.

* * *

~~*~~Meanwhile, in Urahara Shouten~~*~~

"Maa, maa! Yamamoto-taicho! What brings your lovely voice to call my shop on this fine, handsome day!" An eccentric shopkeeper, also known as Urahara Kisuke, had just picked up the phone without even so much as a "hello" or looking at the caller ID. Sometimes the black cat who was resting on one of the cushions in the living room had to wonder how he did that…then she remembered that she had trained him all those long years ago, and everything became clear. Now if only he would use that training for more important matters…

As Yoruichi was contemplating this, Kisuke had continued his conversation. It was when his voice became serious that Yoruichi became interested in the conversation again. "Really? And the American Death Reapers can't handle it because they don't have someone as slick as I am with the current technology? Oh, and they don't have a substitute like we do? Interesting…So how do you want us to infiltrate? Uh-huh…hai. I still have my clearance from when I went into the military 5 years ago for that stupid research project that went belly-up…do we need Gigai or no? Yessir. Understood. Bye-bye, Old-man Yamamoto!" Just as Kisuke was putting down the receiver you could hear the Captain-commander yelling at him to not take his name and title so lightly. "Man, I think that Toshiro has been hanging around the Captain-commander for too long…either the younger picked up the older's habits, or vice-versa." Kisuke was scratching his chin for a moment.

Yoruichi couldn't take the suspense anymore. "So? What's going on? What prompted the Captain-commander to call you in person?"

Kisuke pulled out one of his many paper fans from a pocket dimension (how, Yoruichi was still trying to figure,) and unfolded it in front of his face. "Well, he wants me to collect Ichi-kun and go to America. Ichigo was picked for the fact that, right now, the kid is our main ambassador to the Living, and me? Well, because I'm just that cool." At Yoruichi's glare, he dropped the fan and held a hand out to block the incoming attack of claws.

"Maa, maa! OK, I'll tell you! It's due to the fact that I have military access. It's how I was able to build my underground training room, and how I get some…less legal living world materials I need for my experiments. They want us to investigate a spiritual disturbance near or in a complex called Cheyenne Mountain. They have some really heavy technology in the mountain that every time a Death Reaper—you know, our American counterparts—comes close, the entire mountain goes on lockdown.

"Reiatsu messes with some of the sensors and other devices that they use to scan people, and when no one is coming through and the devices go haywire…you can see their problem. And no one in their 25 branches who are stationed in the World of the Living can get the clearance to get in. I guess that we are in league with whatever program is being done in the base, so viola! My protégé and I are now going to America…after I contact my people, and they contact theirs and so on."

Yoruichi rested her black feline head on her forepaws. "Well, I can already tell you one thing."

"What's that?"

"Ichigo's not going to like this one bit."

* * *

…and that's as natural place as any to stop it. Please review! If no one does, then I can't get better as a writer. ^_-

EDIT: Minor spelling/grammatical error changes made on 11/30/12


	2. Chapter 2: The Lair

AN: Another chapter…and so fast! Go me! For a time reference, this is BEFORE the newest Manga arc/after the last Anime arc in Bleach, and…well, SOMETIME after Daniel Ascended and came back. Like I said, only a passing knowledge…I need to re-watch the shows, seeing as I haven't seen them in years…

Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed and faved/alerted my story! I honestly wasn't expecting such a response so fast!

"_Speaking in a language foreign to the current land_."

"Speaking in the native language."

There is a flashback scene in this chapter. You will know it by the fact that it is all italicized.

EDIT 12-17: Made a few spelling/grammar corrections as well as adding the actual CHANGE to his personal information that I realized I mentioned but never elaborated on.

* * *

Groaning, Ichigo straightened himself up, stepping into the asile of the jet that had just—finally!—landed in the United States after two connecting flights from Hawaii to California, and California to Colorado. Ichigo himself didn't even fully understand why Urahara forced him to come with him in the first place—and with some changes to his current identity. He sighed as he remembered that little confrontation with his former mentor.

_ Ichigo had just gotten home from his after school job. He was exhausted, as his boss seemed hell-bent on making certain that he stay busy, so there wouldn't be any chance of him running off for a while, like what happened with Ginjo and Xcution when he regained his Shinigami powers. He opened the door to block the attack he knew would be coming from his father, only to have nothing to block. He heard his father and another very familiar voice coming from the kitchen, making him groan. What did Urahara want now?_

_ "Ah, Ichigo-kun! What took you so long! I thought that school got out over 4 hours ago," an enthusiastic Urahara blurted, swinging his damnedable fan in front of his face and tipping his hat so that his eyes didn't show._

_ Glancing at Isshin, Ichigo said, "I was at work. You know, this great thing that I need to survive in the World of the Living. The old man should have told you about it; you didn't have to wait around." He threw his bag in the corner of the kitchen, and sat down at the table where the other two were at. Isshin had tears forming in his eyes, big melodramatic ones, and Ichigo cut him off before he could even start. "No, your son does NOT hate you. However, if you go crying to the poster of mom again I may have to kick you THROUGH it."_

_ Isshin seemed to think about it for a moment, then decided that his poster was more important than embarrassing his son. With a sigh, he said, "Alright, Ichigo. But just this once! And only because Urahara is here with a very special…task for you."_

_ Ichigo didn't like the smirk that was on his father's face as he said that._

_ And so Urahara closed his fan, and told Ichigo about the artifact that had somehow found its way to the World of the Living. "We're pretty sure it's sekki sekki, but we can't be certain. If it is, then we need to find out where it came from and how to make certain that they can't—or won't—mess with the stuff ever again. So, the American branch of Soul Society-," Ichigo gave Urahara a strange look here, "Oh, don't look at me like that, you had to wonder about the other cultures in the world…all Rukongai has is Japanese. ANYWAY, the Death Reapers of the US asked for some assistance. They have yet to actually get anyone into the higher ranks of the military in order to get clearance to get in the base. _

_ "And man, do they have some mean equipment. Some of it is so sensitive that it can pick up very strong reiatsu, like mine and yours. We can put it off as you being an experiment that was not successful…and I will just contain my reiatsu for the few moments we will be going through their security."_

_ "Yea, yea, just rub it in that my control still sucks. Even Zangetsu and Shiro are complaining about it," Ichigo said, resting his chin in his left hand. "So, back on topic. What's our itinerary for the trip, then? And how can I clear it with the school?"_

_And that, of course, is what brought us here at…7:30 in the morning US time,_ Ichigo thought, yawning into the back of his hand. He was currently carrying his and Urahara's luggage. They were going to try to get him in as an assistant and pupil to Urahara (hence his drudgery), and they had already mysteriously cleared it with the command in the US. It seemed that many people were skeptical that the twosome should even be allowed on base, but once again Urahara pulled one of his many strings, and they moved like puppets. They both had to sign papers upon papers, but Urahara said that it would all be worth it.

He glanced at his shiny new passport, and at the biggest change to his information: his age. How Urahara did it, Ichigo didn't want to know, but it now read that he was 21 instead of 17* years old. He shook his head, a darker expression appearing on his face. That mad scientist had his fingers in too many pies.

_"Lighten up, Ichigo. It's not like they will kill you…maybe,"_ said a masculine voice from one of Urahara's bags that nearly scared the wits out of Ichigo.

It was a voice that he knew very well, however. _"Yoruichi! How on earth did you get past airport security?_"

The black feline head poked out of a smallish bag and yawned. _ "Why, they didn't even see me. You forget, Ichigo, that my cat body is not a gigai, but all spirit. Only spiritually-aware humans could see me, and then not through machinery. It was quite simple to get past their low-grade x-ray scanners."_

Ichigo shook his head, a small smile pulling up the corners of his mouth. His attention was pulled away from the black cat, however, when Urahara called his name along with a large enough pulse of reiatsu to catch his attention. "Our ride is here! Come on, Ichi-kun!" Grumbling at the nickname, Ichigo followed him to the black van, helped load the luggage, and settled down in the seat for the moderately long ride to the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.

* * *

Daniel was just coming back to base from his "casual," AKA commanded by General Hammond himself, leave time away from base as he overheard some new voices at the final security checkpoint before the lowest levels of the complex, and by route, the Stargate. Slightly confused, he approached in time to see a young, red-headed Japanese man start losing his patience with the older, blonde-haired man dressed in a green haori and a striped hat wearing…was that actual wooden clogs?

"Urahara! _You said that you had all of this handled._ It was your idea to bring me along, and your idea to actually take our government up on the offer of studying the…_certain piece of rock_!" The young man's hesitation was evident, if only because his expression changed momentarily as he about let a bit of information slip. "I didn't even want to come originally, but no! _You had to convince my family that it was a better idea to come with you than it was to study at home_!" The young man kept switching between English and Japanese, of which Daniel only had a very basic knowledge.

"Is there something that I can help out with here, gentlemen?" Daniel walked up to them steadily, hands in his jean pockets. The guards on duty nodded to him, and he nodded back.

The man addressed as Urahara turned around, his gray eyes piercing from under the shadow of his hat. "Ah! Yes, yes…maybe you can. You are…a Doctor Daniel Jackson, yes?" The man's hands burrowed into the opposite sleeve as he dipped his chin so his eyes were only barely visable. Daniel furrowed his brow a bit, and actually looked at the man. He seemed to be in his mid to late thirties, and in very good shape as was evidenced by his partially-exposed pecs and the line of his shoulders.

He had a cane on one arm, hanging from the crook of his elbow made of a lighter wood. There was a joint between what would be considered the "handle" of the cane and the shaft leading to the floor. It was obvious that the piece was more for show than practical use, judging by the wear on the handle and lack of on the ground end. But what really seemed different about the man was the certain feeling of suppressed power. It was like standing next to a known martial art champion, or a known Goa'uld; knowing that they could kill you easily, and seem to not even be conscious about the devastation that they could cause.

It took a moment before Daniel realized that he had yet to answer the man. "Oh, sorry. Yes, that would be me. However, I don't remember you giving yours."

At this, the green-robed man pulled his hands from his sleeves, and in one of them was a traditional (if plain) Japanese paper fan. He quickly unfolded it and fanned it in front of his face. "Maa, I do apologize, I seem to have forgotten my manners since coming in so early in the morning. You may address me as Kisuke Urahara, and this young man behind me is my apprentice and assistant Ichigo Kurosaki. We hail from a…specific research team in Japan that was sent over to assist you in looking at a certain artifact that may or may not have a relation to keeping our world…intact.

"However, we seem to not have received the proper paperwork from our government and, despite the fact that we made it this far, we cannot go any further. We were just asking these wonderful guards here if they wouldn't mind calling…General Hammond, was it?...and getting confirmation that yes, we are supposed to be here."

Daniel pushed his glasses up a bit and studied the two people. After a moments thought, he nodded to the guards. "I do seem to remember the General mentioning that help would be brought in on the project, I just didn't think that it would be until a little later this week." He looked at the guards manning the security point. "I would go ahead and call the General's office. I would hate for there to be an international incident because we didn't let someone go where they were supposed to."

One of the guards smiled a little, and nodded his head. "Sure thing, Dr. Jackson. However, if these people aren't supposed to be here, we'll let it be your head that rolls."

As the guard was making the call, Daniel noticed one of the bags that the young man, Ichigo, was holding. There was a brief sound that sounded like a meow, but then Ichigo shifted the bag—hard—against his leg and said something in Japanese. _"Shut it Yoruichi. You wanted to come along, so just be quiet and give us a bit more to get through the security check point."_

_"Yes, the weather outside is beautiful, Ichi-kun. I wish my lovely Yoruichi could see it now,"_ the older man said, glancing surreptitiously at Daniel. So the Japanese man knew that he had basic knowledge of the language, huh? But it was also obvious that Ichigo wasn't talking to Urahara when he started talking. Daniel narrowed his eyes, and decided to confront the young man later about it. After all, they would be seeing a lot of each other in the next few weeks, or Heaven forbid months, since Daniel was the head of the certain project that Urahara mentioned.

"OK, sirs, you are good to go. Just pass through these two scanners, let your luggage pass through on this conveyer belt, and then proceed to the Infirmary for a brief check-up and we will be good to go. As it turns out, your government sent your paperwork directly to bas as opposed to giving it to you in Japan, and the man who picked you up neglected to give you the second folder."

Ichigo let out a semi-frustrated breath. "Finally. As if this didn't take long enough. What did you pack IN these bags, Urahara? They weigh a freaking ton."

Urahara just laughed. "Oh, you will find out soon my pupil. Just wait and see once we get to the labs. _ And remember, we are representing more than just the country of Japan. We are representing our_ kind_ as well._"

Ichigo rolled his eyes as he placed the bags heavily on the conveyer belt. "Hai, Geta-boushi."

Daniel chuckled at the nickname that the kid gave Urahara, for it was something that he understood. He went to stand by the guards monitoring the x-ray machine to get a peak at what was in the bag. Besides one being only half full, however, there really was nothing of interest that he could easily identify. The two walked through the Goa'uld detectors** and other, less powerful x-ray machines. When the younger kid walked through the first machine, however, it was like the sensors couldn't stand his presence. The picture became very grainy, but it was clear enough to see that he had no symbiote.

The guard monitoring the station bumped the monitor once, then twice before Urahara spoke up. "It's not your machine, don't worry. Ichigo is a…special case. He has some highly experimental technology inside of him that has a tendency to confuse or distort that kind of imaging contraptions." Urahara raised his hand to his lips. "Shhh! It's a secret! And don't ask me anymore, because I won't be able to tell you about it!" He then proceeded to skip—yes, skip in clogs—through both machines, only stopping long enough for them to see he also had no symbiote and to get a good read on the other x-ray machine.

Then the bags were through, and then Daniel went through as well. "Well, I might as well show you around the base. Follow me."

One of the guards stopped him before he could go more than a few steps. "Don't forget that they need to go to see the Doc first, just to make certain that they aren't bringing in any plague or whatever."

Daniel nodded his head. "Yea, thanks for reminding me. Have a good day, guys!"

And with a wave, the three (or really four, counting the hiding Yoruichi in the half-filled bag) went to the elevators, and took them down…

And down…

And down.

* * *

AN2:

** = I can't remember if they had a way to see if someone was infested or not in the main entrances…so I decided to cover my butt and create this super-duper x-ray machine…thing. OK, so I like gadgets, so sue me. ^_-


	3. Chapter 3: Examination of Fate

AN: So, obviously this is turning into another monster. I meant for it to be a quick fic, but my brain keeps giving me ideas that I feel I have to add, which of course makes the story grow. Now I'm looking at something more along the lines of 10-15 chapters, as opposed to the 2-4 I originally planned on. I'm sure my followers are very happy, lol.

OK, I'm going to try to get in all of the info about the base that I can here. I'm still debating if I should allow our three Shinigami friends into the 'Gate room…or if only Yoruichi should be able to sneak in there, since she IS a spirit and not in a gigai…Hmm…tell me your opinions! Either way, the evaluation of the "artifact" will be in the next chapter…and a bit of excitement. ^-^

Oh, and I just HAD to title this chapter "Evaluation of Fate." I wrote half of this chapter on my phone, and the autocorrect changed it to that from "evaluation of his" for some reason. It sounded cool so I went with it. ^_-

Enjoy!

* * *

Evaluation of Fate

It was while Urahara was getting examined that Dr. Fraser noticed something a little off. Yes, all of his readings and tests came back perfect for a man of Urahara's weight, height, and age…but it was all too perfect, in Fraser's opinion. No matter how sheltered a person might be, they always had scars somewhere on their body, or their joints and skin showed signs of aging. It was almost like his body had been stored somewhere, perfectly preserved; as if he had just been born. It was more than a little odd, in her professional estimation.

As for the young Ichigo, she didn't know what to think. If Urahara's body was like a newborn, then Ichigo's was a battle-hardened man's twice his own age. There were scars littered all over his body, and several she wondered how he had even survived. One was directly over his collarbone, as if a pipe or tree had been shoved through the bone and tissues there, and a bit had come out his back.

And she had only wanted him to remove his shirt so she could hear the sounds from his heart and lungs better through her stethoscope.

She shared some of her concerns with Daniel as the younger man was getting dressed, he talking to his elder in Japanese. "Daniel, I don't know how to explain it. That kid has survived more than is humanly possible, and doesn't appear to have any issues with those old wounds. Most people would feel self-conscious about it all, but to him it's more a badge of honor than anything else. It's just very...odd."

Daniel had to agree with Fraser. He had caught a glimpse of the scars just on the young man's back, and those were many. The two that really caught his attention were on his shoulders, going from the crest to nearly the middle of his back in long, jagged (if very faded) marks. The amount of pain that he had gone through...no wonder he seemed mature for his age.

While the doctors of medicine and anthropology were talking, Ichigo and Urahara were talking about much the same thing.

_"Hmm...this is actually quite astounding. I didn't know that spirit wounds like this would eventually be visible on the human body. Though, to be honest, you are the only Substitute that we have that I can get my hands on and actually observe and study." He scratched his chin in thought, watching as Ichigo put his shirt back on. "What is the extent of the scarring that shows? Is it only ones that have others reiatsu placed in them, or is it even the every-day cuts and scrapes?"_

Ichigo shrugged after pulling his shirt over his head and sliding his arms through the holes. _"Honestly, I've never really even thought about it. It took quite a bit of time for the scarring to appear on my physical body; it was so gradual that it was like one day they just started showing up. As for what ones appear...so far only the ones that had reiatsu pushed into the damage, like the hole Uluquiorra made in my chest and the cuts from Renji's zanpaku'to. But who's to say? The last one to appear was a little over a week ago, and it was a moderate cut from my fight with Kenpachi during the rescue of Rukia."_ Ichigo stood up, glancing in the direction of doctor Fraser and Daniel. Switching back over to English, he said, "Well, we might as well join them and get the tour over with. Why they had to do a physical is beyond me, but hey, that's why I'm not in charge here."

Daniel noticed their approach, and stopped doc Frasier from continuing the conversation about the two foreign scientists. To her, he whispered, "We will finish this discussion later. For now don't alarm the General…they are only going to be here temporarily, and they have no signs of Goa'uld infestation, so they shouldn't be a threat to our operations." To the other two, however, he said, "Well, are you ready to be introduced to the rest of the team, and maybe even the General? It's not a long walk, but it is one level down from where we are right now." At their nods, Daniel said his goodbyes to the good doctor, and led them to the secondary elevator that would take them down, and end up two doors down from the lab.

* * *

As the elevator doors opened at the lower level, however, the small group encountered O'Neill. "Ah, Daniel! There you are! And who are these people with you, friends of yours?" Jack crossed his arms, looking the two Japanese men up and down.

"Hey, Jack. Remember last week we were told that there would be a couple scientists coming over from Japan to help with that…artifact that we found at site PX-601349? Well, they came a little earlier than expected. This is Dr. Kisuke Urahara and his assistant and student Ichigo Kurosaki. I was just taking them to the labs to show them around, then the mess hall. Why, do we have a briefing? Is something going on?"

"Yea, we're supposed to have a briefing in about half an hour…plenty of time for you to show your new science freaks around. We're meeting in room 1; be sure you're there!" _Great, more science punks for Daniel to play with…as if I don't hear enough about his obsession as it is, now he has more minds to bounce ideas off of that he will just have to share with me because of how 'astounding' they are, _Jack thought, running his right hand along his jaw line for the briefest of moments as he walked away. There was something about the two scientists, though, that was setting alarm bells off in his head; he didn't like it one bit.

Daniel watched Jack go, wondering about the briefest expressions of wariness that had crossed his face as he turned away from the small group. He would have to compare notes with Frasier, and now Jack as well, after the briefing. "I'm sorry about that. Jack O'Neill is the man who leads our expeditions into…sometimes hostile territory."

Ichigo's eyebrow quirked. "What kind of hostile territory, if you don't mind my asking."

Daniel sighed, one corner of his mouth pulling up in a crooked smile. "Sorry, I don't know if you have a high enough clearance for me to tell you. All I can say is that the hostile groups are no one that your country, specifically, counts as an enemy." _No, it's just the whole world that does—everyone that is aware of the Stargate project, at least, _Daniel thought, turning away from Ichigo's probing eyes and Urahara's quizzical look. "Well, here we are! This is the main room that we study new artifacts in, under the supervision of either I, myself or one of the other high-clearance level archeologists." He looked at the two Japanese men again, a question in his eyes. "I'm curious; why haven't you guys asked why archeologists are needed in a military base? That was one of my first questions when they brought me on this project."

Urahara grinned, and answered so Ichigo didn't have to flounder (seeing as he hardly knew anything about what was going on in the first place). "Well, you see my good man, our government told us the bare bones of what was going on. I was told that you all had discovered a certain ancient device that…proved the existence of hostile extraterrestrial life—" here, Ichigo raised a startled eyebrow beyond the vision of the two scientists—"and that there were many unexplained phenomenon that accompanied said ring. I have my own guesses as to what this 'ring' is, as well as the word 'unexplained' before 'phenomenon.' Usually that's just bureaucratic crap meaning that they don't want to tell us the whole story, so we aren't going to get it."

Daniel chuckled as he opened the door to the research lab. "I hear you on that one. I may be one of the leading researchers on the 'ring,' as you have so graced it, but even I find myself floundering in the BS quite often. Anyway, here we are. Most people who work here are on vacation right now…it's just that time of year. No one here likes to take breaks from the work, so usually we are sent out en-masse to vacation spots or our homes with orders not to return unless called or a week has passed."

He chuckled, leading them down a narrow aisle to the back of the room where a few crates were stacked. "This is all the stuff we brought back from the site, so once I leave you to it you can explore these all you want. The specific artifact that we are having troubles with is in the large red crate over there—" he pointed to a crate by its self in the right hand corner—"in that corner. If you want to just start with that, be my guest. Now, for the rest of the areas that you will be allowed access to…where did they…ah! Here they are; Sam must've moved them." He held up to key cards attached to lanyards, and handed one to Ichigo and one to Urahara. "These will either let you into the areas of the complex that you have the clearance for, or an armed guard will look at them and tell you if you have access to the area or not. Now that you have ID's, go ahead and set your equipment down and then follow me to the mess hall. I bet you guys are hungry after your long flight from Japan."

* * *

After showing them the mess hall and a quick bit of breakfast/lunch (as it was 10:40 when they got to the hall,) Daniel showed them the guest rooms for quick naps and the like, then left them to their own devices. "I should be back in the lab in an hour or two. Don't wait up for me, just go and do your thing." And with that, he left them in the hallway leading to the lab.

_"Well, that was easier than expected. I thought for sure that they would leave us with the senior-most scientist the entire visit…though I guess this will give us the time we need to see if the artifact really is made of sekki sekki,"_ Urahara stated, walking up the way to the door leading to the lab.

_"Heh, yea…for once luck seems to be going our way. Like THAT never happens. Oh, right! When luck starts to appear to be going our way, it always balks at the last second, leaving us high and dry until another wave of luck comes along and floats us past our obstacle,"_ Ichigo said, a small hit of sarcasm found in his voice.

And Ichigo's opinion proved true, for once they walked into the lab, someone followed them into the lab. "Oh, I'm sorry. May I ask…who you guys are? What division are you with and why are you in the main labs?" It was a younger woman, seeing to be around the same age as Daniel. She had short-cropped blonde hair, and was wearing a military uniform complete with dog tags around her neck.

Urahara smiled, and once again that fan came out of his sleeve. "Maa, isn't it usually more polite to introduce yourself before you go demanding the names of others? But, I suppose because we are on your base you have a right to be wary. My name is Ura…I mean Kisuke Urahara, and this young man behind me is Ichigo Kurosaki. We hail from Japan, and were invited over to partake in the investigation of a certain artifact-"

"Oh! You're from that group. My name is Major Samantha Carter; I'm a teammate of Daniel's, the head of the anthropological teams here**. The General told me you were probably still down in the mess hall; I guess he is a little behind." As she gave her name, she held out her hand for both men to shake, which they took in turn. "I was originally supposed to be at the briefing that Daniel is at now, but they decided that I should come down here and help show you were everything is located. I'm usually the more technological researcher of the group, but I do use this lab every once in a while." She grinned at them, showing a row of straight, white teeth. "So, do you want to get started with looking at our specimens, or looking at the equipment?"

Urahara glanced in Ichigo's direction, a distinct 'you were right,' look on his face. "Hmm…let's go with the lesser specimens."

* * *

AN: ** Once again, I stress my basic knowledge. I thought at some point they say that he is the head of the department while being on the SG-1 team…but I could be wrong. If I am, someone correct me…or I could just change this to AU, and call it all good. ^_^

PS: Sorry about the false update...it messed up a bunch of my italics and page breaks...like usual...lol

EDIT: Changed "pukes" to "punks"...that's what it was supposed to be anyway, and thanks reviewer ulsha for pointing that out. I will give you credit again in the next chapter, in case you don't see this. ^-^


	4. Chapter 4: Suggestion of Foreshadowing

AN: Aaaaaaaaaand…I'm back! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out…started a new job, and am working that with my previous one as well…yea…kinda busy in my life. ^-^ ANYWAY, I'm hoping to do 1-2 updates a month for an update schedule…kinda crappy, I know, but at least I can promise you that much. If you get more than that, feel lucky.

This is going to be a bit short. It just…ended here well, and in order to keep my chapter title, I didn't want to go much further. I tried, I swear! The next chapter will be a bit longer, seeing as I am already working on it and not doing my typical write on it the same day as I update.

Oh, and thanks to the reviewer Ulsha who pointed out a rather major typo in the last chapter...Jack doesn't call the science types "pukes," but my phone thought that "punks" wasn't a word when I typed that bit up, so it changed it. Dang you, technology!

...Anyway! On to the chapter! (As always, words in italics are in a language foreign to the current country. And I do not own SG1 or Bleach. Sad day.)

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* * *

~*~Suggestion of Foreshadowing~*~

.

It was as they were going through the second file of photos of the buildings that the call came. Carter got up from the bench and walked over to the phone on the wall, answered, listened for a moment, said, "Yessir," and hung up. "Well, boys…as it turns out, the General would like to speak with you in the briefing room. And, he has a surprise that you should like as well. Just close that laptop, and come with me. I take it Daniel already showed you around to the basic areas?"

"Ah, yes! The other scientist of your group showed us the areas that he was certain that we had clearance to. Others…we didn't get to see, due to uncertainty," Urahara chirped, standing up from the stool by the work bench in front of the laptop. Closing the lid, he brushed his haori off and walked towards the door, Ichigo in tow after he opened up the smallest duffel bag and grunted. What Carter didn't see was the black cat that pounced out of the bag and jumped on to Ichigo's shoulder, claws extended.

She gave Ichigo a brief look—the grunt didn't go unnoticed—and gestured for them to follow. "Well, then. Let's go and meet the rest of the team!"

Daniel perked up as he heard the knock on the door, followed by Sam and the two Japanese men. Urahara pulled a paper fan out from his sleeve (eliciting a scathing look from Ichigo,) and waved with his semi-free other hand to the others. Daniel looked at the cane that was still draped in the crook of the elder man's elbow, raising an eyebrow. That was when he saw the flash of something black jump from Ichigo's back and dart under the table. Since no one else said anything, he figured it was just his imagination until he heard purring from under the table. However, before he could look, General Hammond caught the group's attention.

"Welcome, delegates from Japan. We heard that you were the best in your field of archeological geology** and the more primitive forms of your native language, hence the invitation from us to your government, and they to you. I have yet to speak to your apprentice, Dr. Urahara. Ichigo, is that correct?" Hammond held out a hand for the younger man to shake, which he did so firmly

"Yea, Ichigo Kurosaki. I have been acting Urahara's guinea pig and assistant in nearly all matters for at least 2 years now. He says I'm something of an idiot prodigy…whatever that means."

Urahara huffed out a laugh, "It means that you pick up on some things faster than those that have been trained at higher than college level, and on others you are as dense as a metal bat. _Need I mention a certain scenario with your Zanpaku'to and cutting down a Menos Gra-"_

_"OK, OK! I get the picture!_ No need to go embarrass me, even if no one here really understands our language." Ichigo's face was beet-red, clashing wonderfully with his hair. This prompted a few chuckles from Sam and Daniel, who had already met the quiet man outside of the briefing room. When Ichigo spoke it was frank and to the point, but usually he listened, soaking up everything he heard. Daniel first thought it was because he was unfamiliar with the English language, but at times it seemed like he was there to translate more complicated things to the older scientist. Overall, Daniel liked them both, though the words, "_Zanpaku'to"_ and, _"Menos,"_ seemed to stir something in his memory that tried to make itself known, but couldn't.

Jack, however, became wary with the way the two men kept switching between languages, almost like they had something to hide. He didn't like the feeling of repressed power that both men seemed to exude in waves, even if the Colonel couldn't put an exact name to his feelings about them. He shifted his gaze over Teal'c to see his reaction…but as always, his expression was difficult to read. However, in his time together with the Jaffa, he had only known a few instances where his face had this degree of hardness—when he was trying to judge the enemy to see how strong or weak they might be.

Jack didn't take that as a good sign.

The General, however, saw the two men and knew them to be warriors, as their confidential files stated. Yes, they were scientists, but the paperwork that he was given on the two included immense training in hand-to-hand and swords. Even the kid wasn't to be taken lightly…however it would be interesting to see how he did in the sparring ring with Teal'c.

So they sat down with cups of coffee (tea, in Ichigo's case,) and got to know each other a little bit. SG-1 talked about the planet that they had explored, without letting it slip that it was a whole other planet rather than some remote area on Earth. Urahara and Ichigo talked about training and, in Urahara's case, his science experiments.

After about an hour of talking, the General stood up. "Well, unfortunately I'm going to have to cut the rest of this meeting off if I want to get back to work. However, I have a little surprise for you two." He motioned to the two Japanese. "We just received clearance from your country as well as our President, seeing as we are allied nations, so we felt that we should unveil this project to you before you get too deep into the rest of your work. If you will follow me, we will take you to the embarkation room where the device that made all this possible is kept."

Ichigo looked confused, but Urahara looked like a 5 year old at Christmas. Daniel chuckled, Sam and Jack smirked, but Teal'c merely raised an eyebrow.

As they were leaving the briefing room, the worst—and most common—words were said over the loud speakers, followed by running soldiers and a running General, SG1 team, and Japanese "scientists."

"Unscheduled off-world activation!"

* * *

AN2: I know, a cliffie… as for the **, I think I made up this brand new branch (maybe?) of Archaeology. It fits for what I need, and who knows? Urahara is like a deity with technology…they may actually believe him.

Oh, and I made a few changes to Chapter 2 and 3…a friend pointed out that I forgot to add Ichigo's reaction to finding out about extraterrestrial life (surprise and a raised eyebrow which no one notices), and the actual changes I made to his personal information so he could come on this trip with Urahara (made him 21 instead of, I 17, which is about when this takes place age-wise for Ichigo.) Next chapter should be out before New Years, but probably after Christmas.

Thanks for reading! And leave me suggestions, I'm always open to them and you will get a mention in my story if I use them, and a thank you for suggesting! ^_^


	5. Chapter 5: On the Precipice

AN: Ahh…yea…*coughs* Happy new years? I know this is out 2 weeks AFTER the new years, but I hope everyone's was enjoyable, as was the rest of your holiday season (for those of you that read authors notes. ^-^) You guys are going to hate how this chapter starts off…but I promise, something interesting WILL happen. ^-^

ANYWAY, on to the chapter…you know, what you all have been waiting for. ^_-

And to those of you who can find the Dresden Files (mild) reference in the first half of the story...kudos to you. ^-^

PS: Title inspiration came from the Bleach OST…which I am currently listening to as I am finishing this chapter up for you all. ^-^

* * *

~*~On the Precipice…~*~

"Unscheduled off-world activation!"

The klaxons started blaring, and lights started flashing everywhere. Yoruichi darted out from under the table and jumped back into Ichigo's bag just as he grabbed the strap. She peaked out of the bag at the sandy-haired, glasses wearing man who had been identified as "Daniel Jackson." That man was a strange one, in nearly the same way she thought that Chad and Orihime were strange. He had spiritual power locked up inside him, and as usual only Ichigo was ignorant of the fact. But…it was strange. It wasn't that he was holding it in himself, but like someone had put a limiter on his abilities and made him more…vanilla-human as opposed to the other "flavors" that were out there.

She was soon pulled out of her musings, however, once her favorite Substitute threw the bag's strap over his shoulder to run with the others to, as she would soon find out, the command room.

* * *

Thankfully, the run to the control room was a short one. Just as the large group entered, the on-duty head called out, "Finally receiving IDC…it's SG-10!" The man spun around as he noticed that the door had opened, and his eyes asked all the question that was needed.

"Do it, open the Iris." The General walked up to a microphone as the man running the computers entered the code to open the iris. "Clear the gate ramp, but train weapons on the Stargate! SG-10 is coming in hot!" As he said the words, "SG-10," the iris shot open, and just in time. Mere moments later, the four-man team came darting out of the event horizon, three weapons trained on whatever had been tailing them and one man supporting what appeared to be a Tok'ra. The man with the Tok'ra made a hand-sign to the viewing window. "All units accounted for, close the iris!" the General barked, walking towards the door out of the control room.

As they all marched out of the control room, the General turned and look at his followers. "Looks like today is going to be an eventful one…I guess it's your official welcome to the SCG, gentlemen." Jack barked out a laugh, and grumbled something that sounded an awful lot like, "never a dull moment," but Ichigo (the one closest to him) couldn't be certain.

They took a few stairs down to the level that the Stargate was located at, and all Ichigo could do was stare in wonder at the giant metal…ring. Really, a giant ring…it was just crazy enough that he had no issues believing that this device could facilitate interstellar travel. It was a helluva lot more believable than his usual day-to-day life of exorcizing evil hollows and sending holes to the Soul Society.

Oh, he did catch the phrase, "Off-world activation," when it was said over the intercoms. And to his poor, frazzled brain that could only mean one thing: this device is how they found out about life on other planets and how they managed to _get to_ those planets.

He glanced back at the rest of SG-1 and the General to discover he was standing by his lonesome, staring at the metal contraption. The rest were all talking to the team who had come through the Stargate as they loaded the injured man wearing significantly different clothing onto a stretcher. To sate his curiosity, he joined the SG personnel and Urahara.

"…and like it was first identified as, the place was empty of sentient life…until the Goa'uld dropped out of the sky following the Tok'ra who had escaped from their ship that was in orbit around the planet. Their names, by the way, are Ka'raal and Simoń. They were spies for the Tok'ra on board the supply vessel that he was taken prisoner upon and was in orbit. Before he started to kinda fade in and out of consciousness, he said that he had delicate information for the Tok'ra if we could…kindly…return him to his people."

The General patted the man on his shoulder, and said, "Good work. Go ahead and take your team to the infirmary as well…just in case."

The soldier—obviously the leader for SG-10—snapped a salute and followed his team to said infirmary.

Turning around, the General looked at Urahara and Ichigo, smiling. "Well, like I said…eventful. This is what we call the embarkation room, where we keep the device known as the Stargate." He gestured behind Ichigo and Urahara to the giant rings. "Where we were previously was the control room for our Stargate, where everything happens that allows us to travel to other planets. This is how we found the strange stones and artifacts that you two will be studying during your stay here."

Daniel looked at the two scientists and spoke up. "Yea, that was about my expression when I first saw it and found out that interstellar travel was possible. And a little known fact: this particular ring was buried by the Ancient Egyptians…so it's been that long at least since it's been possible."

Urahara pulled out his fan from his sleeve again, and waved it in front of his face. "Maa, maa…that's incrediable. It makes you wonder about other dimensions, too…"

"Oh, other realities are very real. We have had two encounters with them so far…kind of makes you glad that we're living in this one, to be honest," Sam spoke up, looking at Urahara with a strange glint in her eyes. "We also know that there are other planes of existence. The Ancients, the people who built the Stargate, did what we call Ascend, and shed their physical bodies in order to live as a kind of energy-,"

Jack started laughing, cutting Sam off in the middle of her fun. "I think that you can explain the physics of our risen friends another time, Sam. The poor kid looks like his head is going to explode."

Ichigo quickly shut his mouth, glancing at Urahara for a moment before turning a pointed look at the Colonel. "Look, in the last 24 hours I just found out that aliens exist, and that we have been traveling to other planets for a few years now, and oh, yea, other REALITIES have been proven to exist and oh! There was another race of beings that made this Stargate and have transcended what we mere humans call life. Excuse me if I find the whole thing a little much for my poor head." As Ichigo spoke, Yoruichi poked her head out of the bag he was carrying. Her head was soon followed by her body as she hopped out, and trotted over to the Stargate. She walked up the ramp, making certain that she didn't trip any officers up there, and proceeded to smell and poke at the metal. Taking a spiritually-enhanced claw, she tried to scratch the metal of the Stargate and…nothing. A bit alarmed, her head shot back a bit before she hissed at the metal and ran back to Ichigo's bag.

As she was jumping into said container, she noticed that Daniel's eyes had been on her the whole time.

* * *

As Sam, Urahara, and Jack talked about the physics of the gate and why the female scientist shouldn't waste their time at the moment (with the General chuckling at their antics), Daniel watched the black feline that had jumped out of Ichigo's bag. The creature was strangely intelligent, dodging around the feet of the officers like it was a ghost. Once it got to the Stargate, it seemed to investigate it thoroughly. For a moment the…feel, kind of, since there was no other way to explain it, of the cat changed. A slight flash of blue centered around the cat's paw that batted at the 'Gate. Once it made contact, the cat jerked back and hissed, running back to Ichigo's bag.

It was as they decided to leave the gate room and head their own separate ways that Daniel realized no one had even glanced at the cat as it made its investigation, nor acted like it even existed at all.

* * *

It was later that evening that Daniel found the time to track down Jack and ask his opinion about their foreign scientists. The man was sitting in his office, looking at his television, watching _Star Wars Episode IV_, drinking what appeared to be a Pepsi and eating a bit of popcon, obviously relaxing before finding his bunk in the base and resting up for the night.

"Hey, Jack, do you have a minute?"

Jack swiveled around in his office chair and, on seeing Daniel, waved him in with a smile. "Sure! Just let me pause this…what's up?" He set the remote down on his desk, placing the bag of popcorn next to it and gave Daniel his undivided attention.

Walking up to the desk, he pulled the spare chair from the wall and sat down. "Nothing, really. I was just wondering you opinion of the guest scientists. I think that they're nice and all, but…I don't know. Ichigo kind of gives me this strange feeling that I should avoid him, and Urahara the feeling that I should know who he is." Daniel leaned forward and grabbed a handful of popcorn, popping a buttery kernel into his mouth.

Jack looked actually thoughtful for a moment before he answered. "Well, to be honest, I feel a bit wary of them both. I talked to General Hammond earlier today about the vibes I got off both of them, and found out that Ichigo is more than Urahara's assistant in the sciency fields. He is also his protégé in martial arts and, believe it or not, sword fighting. I mean, _real_ sword fighting like you would see in the old days in Europe, or like the Samurai. Or that one time on PX-367-"

"I get the picture, Jack. They can fight with swords," Daniel chuckled, popping another kernel in his mouth. "That may also explain the cane that Urahara has on him constantly."

Jack got a puzzled expression on his face for a moment. "Cane? What do you mean? Maybe he just didn't have it when he was around me."

Now Daniel looked a bit confused. "No, he had it with him the whole time, perched in the crook of his arm," here, Daniel gestured, mimicking how Urahara held his arm and gestured in a way to show something in the crook of his arm. "He even took it with him to the briefing and into the 'Gate rom. It's made of a light wood?" Jack kept shaking his head, and gave Daniel stranger and stranger looks.

"Are you sure our last off-world trip you didn't hit your head or something?"

Daniel looked a bit offended. "No! And I didn't come into contact with any strange alien tech, as you well know, since it was a deserted planet. So then you're now going to tell me that you didn't see that black cat hanging around Ichigo then, too?"

Jack shook his head in the negative again. Then a grin popped on his face. "Seeing portents of death now, since you came back to us from being Ascended and all?"

Daniel blushed momentarily, glaring at Jack. "I'm not _that_ superstitious. I-"

There came a knock on the partially-ajar door to the colonel's office. "Uh, excuse me guys." Ichigo, of all people, poked his head in at that moment, and looked at Daniel. "I'm sorry to intrude, but Urahara sent me because we don't know which file you want us to save our computer work in, and all the others that were in the lab have left."

"That's fine, Ichigo, I'll be up in a moment."

"Hey, kid, wait a moment," Jack called to him as he started to pull his head from the doorway. It soon reemerged fully, and with his body as well. "Maybe you can settle a small debate that Daniel and I are having. Your boss, does he carry a cane around at all?"

The first emotion that Jack saw flash across the kid's face was alarm, then suspicion and curiosity. But it was his initial reaction that the Colonel was looking for, and it told him all he needed to know. "Uh, at home he sometimes does…but he left it there as far as I know. Why?" Ichigo stuffed his hands in his pockets, seemingly unable to make direct eye contact with the elder man.

"Oh, no reason. Daniel seems to think that your boss is the kind to carry one around for style is all."

Ichigo snorted a little. "Yea, he's vain enough. But his cane is actually a sword that the local government gave him permission to carry. Why, I have no idea, but he seems to enjoy freaking people out with it."

With a wave, Ichigo took his leave of the two SG-1 members.

"Did you see that, Daniel?"

"Heh, yea, I did. He just lied to us, didn't he?"

"I think he just did. But the real question I'm wondering is…why can you see his cane, and this black cat, and no one else besides the kid and his wooden-shoed boss can."

Jack looked at Daniel pointedly, and thought,_ 'Well well…we should probably inform the General about this development.'_

* * *

AN2: Well, as always if you see any mistakes, just let me know and I will do my best to fix them. I have the rest of this story planned out, and as long as I don't get any MORE stray ideas from my picky Muse, this should take another 4-5 chapters to finish...and I'[m contemplating a sequal. ^-^ As the story progresses, if ANY of you have ideas what so ever for said sequal or this fic, let me know. ^_- I usually try to take any and all ideas into account when I'm writing (either my outline or the main story itself,) AND you will get a mention in the story. ^-^

A BIG_ BIG_ _BIG __**HUGE**_thank you to all of you Reviewers and Faves/alerts out there! You have no idea how much it makes my day to see a new remark, fave, or alert in my inbox. ^-^ It gives me the warm and fuzzies. ^-^

Special thanks to **torreto **whose review got me off my butt and finishing this chapter. Even though it wasn't much, it was enough to get me going again! Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6: Feels Like Home

AN: The first of three chapters that I promised you. ^-^ I deleted that author's note, so that's why this is the same chapter number as the previous. Also, the long-awaiting action is about to begin…even if it is only sparing, lol. Enjoy!

As before, "_Italics_" means a language foreign to the current country, and "Regular" is the native tongue.

As always, I do not own SG1 or Bleach.

* * *

Feels Like Home

"Are you two certain of this?"

Jack sighed. This was the second—or was it really the third?—time that the General had asked this particular question. After rubbing his face, he set his right hand down on the table. "Sir, as I have said before, I cannot see the same things that Daniel can, but the kid basically proved our suspicions correct. Not only that, but my instincts have been screaming at me that the kid and his teacher are bad news…and my instincts are usually correct. Daniel is so earnest about what he has seen that I don't see any reason to doubt, and not only that but Doc Frasier has reported that the kid has more scars than a human could survive. Like, for instance, the hole that was carved directly above his collarbone, and a puncture through his heat that had no evidence of suturing." Again, he sighed. "Look, I'm not asking that you kick them off the base. At least, not until we figure out the rock. Just watch them."

The General also sighed. He really didn't want to insult the Japanese government by not showing trust towards their representatives…it was way too far above his pay grade to deal with this nonsense. After a moment's thought, he nodded. "I will take it under consideration. Tell your team that we have a briefing at 1900 hours on the new coordinates in briefing room three. You are dismissed until then."

Jack snapped a salute as he stood. "Yessir. If, for some reason you need to find me, I will be enjoying some jello in the mess hall." He produced a cheeky grin as he left the office.

The General let out a chuckle as soon as he was certain O'Neill was out of earshot. That was so like the commander of SG-1. If only the man would do his paperwork with the same single-mindedness that he saught out his favorite food, then the entire base would be perfect.

When the phone rang in his office, he glanced at the clock. Right on time. As he lifted the receiver, he knew what they were going to say before they even identified themselves on the other end of the line.

The Tok'ra had arrived.

PB

_"Maa, Ichi-kun, look at this! This text mentions spirit beings, and talks about the lives of the Spirit King's people! Isn't that just amazing! These Ancients were really something!"_ Urahara was wiggling in his chair as he took a magnifying glass to one of the physical copies of the pictures that were taken at the site.

Ichigo sighed. _ "Then why are you so excited. Doesn't that mean that we have to eliminate that photo from their archives? You know, to erase the existence of our kind from their records."_

Urahara smiled. _"Actually, no. This is very vague, and I only know that it is talking about the Royal Family for the fact that I have talked to the caretakers of that realm before and heard their stories. This one matches up with one of the more famous stories of how the Royal Family came to be, and how they took command of the many Soul Societies across the dimensions. Honestly, it could be confused with their story of ascension, from the little information that Jackson-sensei gave to me on the subject."_

The "little information" was actually an 800-page journal written by Daniel about what all he had discovered and the few memories he had from being ascended. Urahara had, somehow in the last week that they had been at the mountain complex, read the entire thing. Twice.

It had been an interesting week so far. After their first day, a few more of the regular scientists came back which relieved Daniel and Sam from keeping watch on the two. Or, as the American's called it, "helping them out." The two Shinigami were under no illusions as to their true purpose, however. During that time, they had gotten to know a few of the other researchers on the project, most of whom were very happy to have help deciphering the text and understanding the few actual artifacts that had come back.

Urahara had refused to look at the chunk of stone yet that they were brought in to catalog and understand. He said that he first wanted to understand the environment that it had come from so he had a proper base knowledge on which to base his findings. "It wouldn't do for me to look at it and say, 'I have no clue what this is,' if the other clues of the settlement point to what it may be. You never know, it may be a compound like concrete and not a natural element of the area. Heavens, it could've come from another planet!"

So, Ichigo was asked to help dig through the pictures of the area and tell Urahara if he saw any of the script that was used in Soul Society. It was one of the many lessons that Urahara had been conveying to Ichigo since the fall of Xcution and the return of Ichigo's monstrous spiritual powers…and, to say the least, the entire thing was very tedious. Many of the symbols were from the older Japanese written language, meaning that it was very similar to the modern symbols of the language. However, it was the old Chinese thrown in like good spices that Ichigo had to learn. And Urahara was a merciless taskmaster, especially with Yoruichi hounding both their steps so he could be the best Soul Reaper that he could manage.

Urahara saw it as a perfect opportunity for his student to practice what he had learned so far. Ichigo was very irritated by this, but then Urahara pointed out that there was nothing much else that he could help with. _ "You are here to assist me, as well as be a representative of the Shinigami to the Living, even if they don't know what we both are. That being said, you know next to nothing about archeology OR geology, so leave the heavy work for me and you work on translating."_ Ichigo had nothing to argue after that.

Which was also the reason the poor Substitute was about to go stir-crazy. He hadn't even had time to run laps or _anything_ since their arrival on base. As a person who was going out nightly to eliminate Hollows and jumping from rooftop to rooftop, this forced inaction was about to drive him insane.

After looking at a few more pictures for a half hour and writing down the translations, he threw his hands up in the air with a growl of frustration. "I can't do this anymore! Urahara, you're on your own for a bit, I need to do _something_ other than this stuff that even Toshiro would find annoying and tiring."

At this, one of the other scientists in the room looked up. "If it's physical activity that you are looking for, there are a couple of training rooms on base. There is a machine room, where there are treadmills, ellipticals and the like, then there is a weight room, and the sparring room. Usually there is a soldier or three in any of the rooms, especially if Teal'c is training. Then there is usually a crowd in the sparring room. He is a force of nature to watch." The scientist grinned as Ichigo thanked him. "Oh, you won't thank me if you end up fighting Teal'c, if that's your thing. Just ask anyone around the base and they can direct you to the correct room."

So, Ichigo left to get dressed in something that was more condusive to sparring. As he entered his room, he noticed the lean black cat draped across his pillow. "Really, Yoruichi? This is my bed, not your place to catnap."

The feline opened one eye and glared at Ichigo. Hard. "I will sleep where ever I want to. Are you going to try to make me stop?" She unsheathed her claws, which glinted in the low light.

"Er…no. Never mind." He started to sweat a little, remembering how accurate Yoruichi was with those claws of hers. "Hey, do you know if my father happened to slip a gi or a shihaku'sho in my luggage? He was getting on me before I left about keeping up my training, and I wouldn't put it past him to have slipped something in here," he said as he started to dig through his two duffel bags.

Yawning, Yoruichi mumbled. "Shihaku'sho. Bigger bag, side pocket. Urahara made it extra-dimensional, so it also has a boken and light armor in it, though when you were going to practice Aikido I don't know…you and Urahara have been so busy that I am getting grey hairs from waiting." With that, Yoruichi stood up, turned in a circle, and plopped back down, falling promptly back asleep.

And the cat was right. There was a full black Shihaku'sho with the embellishments that his own Shinigami uniform had on it. He smiled a little, acknowledging the effort his father put into it. It would be a lot more comfortable fighting in an outfit that was, literally, a part of his soul. There was even the plated red chain that attached to Zangetsu when he was in spirit form. As Ichigo pulled on the chain he had to chuckle. It was completely useless now, but the "charm" his father had given him on the trip to Soul Society (and later sewn onto his school uniform) was attached to the lowest point. And his father claimed that he wasn't sentimental.

Glancing at Yoruichi, he decided that he would put the uniform on in the bathroom. It would be just like her to embarrass him if he thought she was asleep and she commented on how he looked without any clothing on.

After he was dressed and headed towards the sparring room (after having gotten directions from an off-duty soldier,) he started on his way towards to room. The soft swish of his hakama and the gentile padding sound of his sandaled feet was, strangely, comforting. He had been stuck in his human body for too long when his powers drifted away like the wind after his defeat of Aizen that he never really realized how comforting the uniform of a Shinigami was until it was gone, and then brought back. The only thing that was wrong with this picture was the missing Zangetsu, though he had been taught by Hiori (with several sandals to the face) how to materialize his partner while still in his human body.

He rounded a corner of the base that was near the infirmary, and nearly ran into an older gentleman in strange clothing. Sucking in a breath, he realized that this man felt…wrong. His eyes were too old, and there seemed to be a black auora in the general area of his head, neck, and the junction of his neck and shoulders. He bowed and gave a hasty apology before he noticed that the entirety of SG-1 was standing behind the man, looking at Ichigo with some shock on their faces. The older man, however, was staring at Ichigo, a puzzled frown on his face.

"Er…hi, guys." Ichigo reached around to scratch the back of his head a little sheepishly, and looked at the stranger before bowing again, deeper than the time before. "I'm sorry, I did not realize that you were friends with SG-1, or I would not have been so hasty in my apology before." He straightened up, and the man's expression had gone from confused and wary to unreadable.

Ichigo didn't take it as a good sign.

Noticing the tension in the air, and determined to do something about it, Daniel stepped in. "Jacob, this is one of the foreign scientists, Ichigo Kurosaki, brought in to look at the artifacts from Monument." At Ichigo's raised eyebrow, he elaborated. "The planet that the stone came from. Ichigo, I would like you to meet Jacob Carter, a liaison from the Tok'ra, the race that you met when you first viewed the Stargate." The two shook hands, but the tension never really left the hall. Jack cleared his throat, and looked between the two, wondering what was going on.

"Ichigo, I must ask…why are you dressed like that?" Daniel asked, looking the Substitute up and down. "I mean, you look like you are in the clothing of the dead, only…this appears more like a uniform than anything."

Ichigo nodded. "It…kind of is. Urahara usually trains me in swordplay while we are wearing this. We do call it a "_Shihakusho_," thought, so…it is kind of death clothes." _Crap! Think of a reason why it would be called that! Oh, the Sword schools!_ Taking a deep breath, Ichigo continued. "The sword school that Urahara and I practice believes that you should be dressed for death, for it may come at any time while in battle. Wear that which is simple, so…as to show you are humble; wear black for the mourning of your comrades, and, so that you may appear like a ghost in the night. All of us who fight in this school usually add some kind of modifications to it in order to make the uniform our own. Urahara wears his hat and clogs, mine is in the chain sash, the collar and the greaves." Here, he shifted his weight a bit in his impatience. "I was actually on my way to see if any in the sparring room had knowledge of the staff or blade. I have not gotten any exercise in the last week and a half, and I'm going stir-crazy in the lab looking at picture after picture."

"It would be an honor to spar with you, Ichigo Kurosaki, if you wish to fight someone with a staff or blade." Everyone looked back in surprise at Teal'c, who had offered his services.

"Well, if you do not mind, now that I know Simoń is alright, I would like to watch this spar," Jacob said, pulling himself upright and grabbing his wrists.

"Hell, so would I," Jack stated, a smirk forming on his face.

Sam just looked between the flummoxed Japanese, Jacob, and Teal'c, shaking her head. "I would, too, but I have some things to get to in my lab." She looked at Jacob. "Will you join me for dinner, dad? I haven't seen you in so long that it would be good to catch up." At his affirmative, she left.

After Daniel agreed to watch the fight, and knowing that there wasn't anything left for them to do until SG-1's briefing at 7 that night, they all went to the sparring room, a slightly dazed Ichigo walking behind them. Hadn't he been warned about Teal'c fighting prowess?

With a nervous gulp, he followed them down the hall and into the locker rooms for Teal'c to grab the practice weapons.

What had he gotten himself into?

* * *

AN2: Next up: The spar, more dirty looks from Jacob and a suggestion from Selmac. Stay tuned. ^-^


	7. Chapter 7: Fading into Darkness

AN: OK, chapter 2 of the 3-part update. I debated as to whether or not to make it a super chapter, or divide it into three…but, since I promised 3 updates, it was separated. Get ready, for here the new chapter comes!

As always, I do not own Stargate or Bleach.

* * *

Fading into Darkness

When Teal'c signaled Ichigo to come over to the tall lockers that held the padded sticks that were used for sparring, Ichigo didn't know what to do. The silent man was standing there, staring at him like he was one of Urahara's experiments. It didn't help that that may be exactly what the tall man was thinking, remembering back to what Ichigo's cover story was.

He was supposedly kidnapped and experimented on by one Souske Aizen. Upon discovery, Urahara took the poor, abused boy under his wing and taught him all he knew.

Heh, as if.

Still, Ichigo hesitated when he looked at the sticks. He was so used to sparring with an actual blade that he feared these fakes would throw him off. Shrugging away any anxiety, he found a "blade" that was approximately the right length and weight as Zangetsu. Upon seeing how the young man handled the padded staff, Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "Ichigo Kurosaki, are you certain that you have handled a staff before?"

At the abrupt question, Ichigo let out a somewhat blinding smile. "Oh, hell no. I have never handled a staff in my life. However, at home I have a sword of my own that we—Urahara and I, and sometimes a friend of his named Yoruichi—spar with, edges and all. This is merely about the correct length for the sword, which is about as long as I am tall." He shrugged. "It may be unconventional, but then again, I am pretty unconventional myself."

Teal'c nodded sagely, and grabbed a staff for himself.

"Let us begin, then."

* * *

Daniel and Jack watched Jacob as they walked behind the Tok'ra. Any time they tried to ask what his problem was with the kid, he responded with either, "Selmac wants to see something first," or "All will be revealed in a moment." No answers. Nothing.

That was one thing that irritated Jack when dealing with other people in general. If they didn't want to tell you something, then it was usually unwise to punch them in the face like he probably would've done when he was younger. His irritation was reaching an all-time high when Teal'c called over Ichigo to the storage locker with the padded practice weapons. Upon hearing the names Urahara and Yoruichi uttered in the same sentence, Jacob's frown deepened.

"OK, seriously, what's eating at you? He's just a kid that has been through some hard times and knows how to fight. What's got your face all in a twist like this?"

Jacob's head bowed, and when he looked back up at Jack, it was Selmac looking through his eyes. "Tell me something, Colonel. How many people do you know that can wield a sword that is nearly the same length as a man is tall? How many young people can say they have matching scars on both hands from what looks like a blade, or a hole punctured in their chest and live? There is something…other about the boy. You can feel it, and I am most certain Daniel and Teal'c can, too, if only because of certain…circumstances. Think on that, and once this fight is over I will tell you and the General my thoughts, for at the moment they are many and not in any order." With that, he turned away as the opponents for the sparring ring walked out the side door and over to the ring made for this kind of thing.

They got close enough to hear what was being said between the two just as Ichigo asked, "So, what are the rules here?"

Teal's spun the staff around his hand once, then said, "If you step outside the ring, it is an automatic killpoint. For you, since you are used to wielding a sword, if you hit my heart, stomach, or head, the killpoint will be yours. For me, only if I hit your head or stomach."

Ichigo frowned. "That seems a bit unfair. Why don't we make it even. You hit me in my heart, the killpoint will be yours as well."

Teal'c nodded, conceding to the determination in the Shinigami's voice. "Very well. Otherwise, 10 hits in any other location makes a killpoint." Here, Teal'c looked over at the remainder of SG-1 and Jacob.

"I will keep score for Ichigo, and Jack can keep for you, Teal'c," Daniel said, taking a few steps from Jack so he wouldn't be distracted by the Colonel's commentary during the battle.

"It is settled, then. Do you have any questions, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Ichigo swung his "sword" around his hand. "No, I think I'm good. Let's get this party started." A smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth.

"Good. O'Neill, if you would, call the start."

They faced off from one another, and waited, their positions at the ready.

Jack stepped into the center of the ring between the two, holding an arm out. Suddenly, he shouted, "Start!" and dropped his arm swiftly, running out of the circle…

And they both just stood there, examining each other.

This lasted for a few more moments before, in a flurry of motion, Ichigo struck. It was then that Jack realized why the younger was wearing pants that looked like a skirt…it was very hard to make out the positions of his feet as they moved, and even harder to judge if a leg was bent to change directions or straight to take a blow. It was like he was gliding on water, and you couldn't tell where he was going to be next.

And the boy was quick! After the first strike to Teal'c's left shoulder, which the bigger man blocked, he redirected the energy from the block into a sweep around and aimed for the opposite side in a motion that would slice the bigger man in half if Ichigo's weapon were really a sword, and Teal'c less vigilant.

For the first full minute of the fight, Teal'c was on the defensive, surprising the growing crowd of spectators in the gym of the sparring arena. Finally, though, the Jaffa managed to shift Ichigo's balance to the wrong foot and pushed the boy away, almost outside of the circle painted on the mats. It was enough that the Big Guy could mount his own offensive, and struck with a see-saw maneuver to Ichigo's left shoulder and right hip. Grunting, Ichigo blocked all the blows in rapid succession, but when Teal'c changed his tempo, he managed to score a hit on Ichigo's left shoulder.

With a Japanese curse, Ichigo kicked out to put some distance between the Jaffa and himself so he could catch his breath. Sweat was already pouring out of every pore on his body, but his muscles (not to mention his Hollow) were screaming in the joy of a good, solid fight. It really had been too long since he faced a skilled opponent other than the other Visoreds and the Shoten people. Even his father refused to do more than hand-to-hand with him, stubborn bastard.

_HEEHEEEHEEEEE! Keep it up, King! He's going to go for the left side next!_

_"Shut up, you stupid bastard,"_ Ichigo muttered between breaths. All through the fight, Shiro was making himself known by adding comments every other maneuver.

Teal'c struck from the left with an uppercut using the butt-end of his staff. Ichigo blocked it, and responded with a swift cut from his left to the right. Teal'c dodged.

_You should've gone with the left-swing-up-backward-c thing. Whatever Urahara calls that move._

Ichigo ignored his Hollow, focusing on putting Teal'c back on the defensive, which he achieved.

_Hey, I'm talking to you!_

_"And I'm ignoring you, Hollow," _ Teal'c's expression became somewhat confused by the spoken Japanese.

_Don't ignore me! That year you were recovering was quiet enough! Don't do it again!_

The hollow's comment was enough to throw Ichigo for a loop, and made him just about miss an attack from Teal'c.

_"You were lonely?" _Ichigo quit speaking under his breath so much. He had forgotten, briefly, that they had attracted a crowd. With Ichigo's next two hits, he managed to score a mark on Teal'c's left arm.

_…Don't make me sound so pitiful. I will take over again, and stop being the Horse if you do._

_"Ha! As if. You haven't done that in…" _Pain. Pain through his head, and over his left eye, the side that always transformed first when his hollow took over. Ichigo dropped, oddly enough in time to avoid a hit Teal'c aimed at his shoulder. The pain wasn't going away, and he knew that his left eye was black with a golden iris.

_Then let me fight with you again, King. Let's beat this powerful human._

* * *

Power.

That was all Selmac felt as the being (for Human he wasn't, that was certain) fell to the ground, clutching the left side of his face. He started to speak aloud again, as he had been during the entire match, in his native tongue. Selmac was startled to realize that this last time, however, the words changed, and he remembered where he had heard it before. From a man who lay dieing in his arms, saying the true gods had finally come to take him to the stars, as his symbiote tried vainly to keep him alive. And then the last words out of his mouth were (after Jacob had found a translation,) "Ah, finally, take me away, Shinigami."

He was of Japanese origin, but the language was not that of modern Japanese.

"Ah, I was afraid this was going to happen."

Jacob jumped, but Selmac knew the man was standing beside him. Knew that he had run from the labs clear across the base as soon as the power from the boy started to flirt in order to come out of hiding.

The man standing beside them was soon identified by Jack. "Dr. Urahara. What's going on?"

"Wait a moment. I want to see how my student handles this."

Jack glowered after receiving the response. Another person telling him to wait before they gave the answer.

Teal'c had hesitated upon the rise of power, as if he could feel the suffocating energy that was about to drown them all. And yet, most of the others who had gathered around the ring acted as if nothing was wrong, only a handful looked around, alarmed.

What was going on?

Teal'c then decided that he had waited long enough, and struck with a downward swipe using the head of the staff in his right hand. It was blocked by Ichigo, who didn't even look up or rise from his crouched stance. When he looked up, his eyes appeared, if not normal, then just a bit brighter, just a bit more crazed than they had before. He looked Teal'c right in the eyes, and laughed.

That laugh wasn't right in the least. It held a duality, much like a Goa'uld possessed human did, and yet…was different.

In three strokes, he had pushed a very surprised Teal'c out of the ring, but it seemed like he didn't care. He kept attacking and attacking, until Urahara spoke up.

"Shiro. _Stop_."

Ichigo hesitated, then looked over his shoulder at the blonde. There was a manic grin spread across half his face, and the other was as somber as the usual Kurosaki. _"Why should I, oh-exiled Captain? I was just havin' a bit a fun."_

Urahara pulled a fan out from his sleeve, and spread it in front of his face. _"Now is not the time. These people do not understand you, and nor would you want them to. They would kill you much like Soul Society tried to do to your brothers and sisters, as well as normal Hollows."_

He seemed to think a moment, then spit off to the left. _"Fine. When I let go, though, I'm takin' King with me. We need to have a little talk about…important thin's."_

Urahara nodded, and suddenly Ichigo's eyes rolled up into his skull and he fell, passed out and unknowing of the commotion he had just caused.

* * *

AN2: I know, evil of me to leave it here…but the third update is still coming! (Be glad that I didn't get the chance to leave it at this cliffy, because knowing me, I wouldn't've had a chance to come back to the story for another month, lol.)


	8. Chapter 8: A Long Overdue Explanation

AN: And part 3! Once again, sorry for the long-ass wait…stupid husband, not letting me get internet sooner. Bah! Lol

This will conclude the fight plus some…other interesting things. You shall see shortly. ^-^

As always, I do not own SG-1 or Bleach.

* * *

The boy was pretending to be asleep, Janet knew as she watched the blips indicating heartbeat and the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. He had been unconscious for about 5 or so hours when he woke up with a jump before falling back into a fitful sleep for another hour plagued by what she could only guess were nightmares. It was actually his lack of movement and sound that gave him away as being awake.

Urahara had explained what happened to Ichigo as a separate personality that had taken over, who was bent on death and warfare, had been created and molded by the man who had kidnapped him all those years ago, Souske Aizen. This was the first time that Ichigo had actually fought outside of their gym and against a stranger for an opponent, and this change created too much stress on his mind causing the personality shift. Ichigo should've known better, according to Urahara, but he must've just gotten too into his fight with Teal'c to notice what was happening in order to stop and meditate to bring about peace between the two personalities. "We still are trying to understand what happened to Ichigo, here, and why he has this strange persona. I've even witnessed him communicating with the other "person" in his mind, as if the other being is responding to his statements. It was quite unnerving the first few months before he got it mostly under control."

Most of the SGC believed this tale, but there were a few who questioned, and wanted to talk to Ichigo as soon as he woke to see if the stories matched. Daniel, surprisingly enough, was one of them, and the other that somewhat caught Janet off-guard was Selmac. She figured the General would want to question the boy, and Teal'c (seeing as he was pushed out of the ring by the other personality), but the usually mild-mannered scientist and the visiting dignitary? Not on her usual list of interrogators.

Finally, it seemed the boy gave up as he let out a monster of a sigh and opened his eyes. They had removed his top and leggings and dressed him in his own sweats, leaving the tee-shirt off he usually slept in. Once again, she was struck by how many scars the boy possessed.

He looked over at her, blinking his eyes rapidly. "Hey, doc…what happened?"

She smiled warmly, and turned to look towards the front of the infirmary. "He's awake, Gentlemen, General." She turned back towards Ichigo, smile still firmly in place as he pulled himself upright and the others walked into the room. "We were actually kind of hoping you could tell us. What was the last thing you remember?"

Ichigo rubbed the left side of his face as if his eye and upper sinuses pained him. "Uh…I was fighting Teal'c, and had just managed to gain the offensive again with the Youma's Strike maneuver when…oh."

Janet raised her eyebrows. "Oh? What happened?"

Ichigo grimaced, and looked them all in the eyes before saying, "How much of my files have you all read? If you don't have the clearance, I'm not supposed to tell you."

The General nodded. "I can guarantee that all in this room have the proper clearance to hear what you have to say, though only Janet and myself have read your file. Daniel, Teal'c, and our friends, Selmac and Jacob, have yet to read what happened to you when you were younger."

Ichigo nodded, knowing where he needed to start with his fabricated back-story, not noticing at first that Jacob had been introduced with two names. "OK, I guess that I need to start towards the beginning, then." He twisted around in the bed, throwing his legs over the edge and removing the sheet from covering him. At Janet's protest, he said, "Don't worry, I'm not going to stand. I just hate laying around in a hospital bed…brings back bad memories."

At her nod, he then cleared his throat, drank a couple swigs of water, and started. "When I was 15, I found out that I wasn't like other kids my age. I was stronger, faster, and…please just bear with me on this…I could see the spirits of the dead as if they were still living and breathing." He rubbed his left eye again, and this time Janet noticed it was the same side. She would have to ask him if he did it again if he were in pain. "I made no secret of it, and everyone that mattered knew that I didn't take these natural abilities for granted. However, it came to the attention of one man who liked to toy with the lives of others as if they were his own personal marionettes…Souske Aizen." The name was said with such venom that Janet and most of the rest took a step back, the exception being Selmac.

"He found my natural abilities to be of great interest, and convinced my father that he should use me in a couple of tests…hypnosis and the like, saying he was studying the motivations of people who grew up to have extraordinary abilities like mine. What really happened was he found out my feelings on his plans and planted a seed of rebellion in my mind towards my father, whom I already found annoying like any teenager would. That seed, in the course of the next 5 months, grew to be true anger towards my father. I ran away from home, and Aizen took me in. While there, he experimented with my mind, and…something grew from those experiments. I have taken to calling him Shiro, because when I see him in my mind during meditation, he is like a negative picture of myself…skin all white, black sclera and golden-eyes. He grew in my mind, and we were able to communicate back and forth. It wasn't very productive.

"You see, he loves battle and blood and death, feels that it is his given right to end the lives of others. And, over the course of the three and a half years I was with Aizen, it was actually he who planted the idea in my mind to kill the one who caused me pain, kill the one who controlled me like a puppet, made me even angrier than my father ever did, even with Aizen's manipulations. Little did I know, the military had been watching Aizen, and on the day before they struck to save me and a few others from his clutches, I took a sword, the one that I normally fight with, and with Shiro's help cut the bastard's heart out." There was great satisfaction in his voice, and Ichigo was picturing the day that the Hogyoku, Aizen's "heart," had abandoned him, ending the long battle that equated to the Winter War.

"It was actually Urahara who found me, and he started to train me to control my own powers, and even found others who could help me find a way to control Shiro. He got me back to my family, and started to teach me how to work with the sword. That was two years ago now, and I still sometimes have issues controlling…him. He comes out when I least expect it, or any time that I fight with my whole heart. The last is what happened today…I should've watched out for him trying to seize control, especially since he has been talking to me more as of late, saying that all the desk work was driving him as insane as it was me…I know, strange that someone who has more than himself residing in his skull commenting about being driven even more insane." He huffed out a laugh, and touched that hand to his left eye again.

"Ichigo," started Doc Frasier, going towards a cabinet that held the injectable pain medication. "Your head hurts you, doesn't it?"

The surprise in his eyes was genuine. He hadn't realized he was touching that side of his face…he was just trying to remember the story around Shiro yelling at him to not forget their promise. They had talked long and fought hard against one another in his inner world before Shiro finally got around to what he wanted to tell Ichigo.

It was something that he would keep close in mind. He would never forget what the Hollow revealed to him…never again.

"No, actually…Shiro is just making a racket in here," he poked his forehead, "and not giving me much chance to think." There. The best lies were always based in truth…and this wasn't really a lie to begin with. Just the story, and even that had the ring of truth to the important parts. He remembered the old stories of the Fey, and how there were only able to tell truths. Yet they were tricky creatures, and could bend your understanding to think you meant one thing when they really said the other. This was one of those moments of inspiration, and Ichigo grabbed hold of it when he was fleshing out the story told in the "report" that the General and Janet Frasier had read on him.

Janet smiled, and looked at the others in the room. "Do any of you have questions for him? If not, I think that he should rest for the remainder of the day."

Teal'c stepped forward, and inclined his head. "You fought well in the ring today, Ichigo Kurosaki. I shall like to spar with you again under better conditions."

Surprise once again flitted across Ichigo's face. "Th-thank you, Teal'c. I would also be honored." He inclined his head, seeing as he was still seated on the hospital bed and couldn't fully bow.

It was silent for a moment before Selmac spoke up. "Did you ever, as far as you can remember, have anything bury itself in your neck, or try to forcibly take over your entire being?"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed slightly. "If you are asking if I possess or have ever possessed a symbiote, no. Never. You can even check my blood to know that I am telling the truth. I already have Shiro trying to take over, I don't need anything else to cause problems."

"See, that is what worries me…you said you were under hypnosis. How do we know that Shiro isn't a symbiote? He is bloodthirsty, angry, and power-hungry. Sounds like most Goa'uld to me," Selmac continued, his visage stern.

Ichigo, however, was undeterred. "I was able to get into the base. They have sensors for the Goa'uld at the final entrances before the elevators that take you down to this level of the complex. If I DID have a symbiote, I think that they would have noticed. That, and would I really be able to wrest control back from a Goa'uld? Or any symbiote at all, for that matter? As Shiro says, I am King, and he my Horse, not the other way around."

And there was another narrowing of eyes. "Wait…you are one, aren't you? I'm not talking to Jacob. General Hammond introduced you as…Selmac, if memory serves. You are a Symbiote."

Selmac smiled a little, and let the duality of their voices ring through as they spoke this time. "Yes. You can understand why we were suspicious. Your voice as you were speaking to Urahara towards the end of the bout had the same duality as our own, but yet slightly different. We just had to be certain. You understand, correct?"

Frowning and mumbling something along the lines of, "as uptight as Byakuya," he said, "Yea, I understand. Doesn't mean I have to like it, or you for that matter."

Both Selmac and Jacob laughed. "And we don't have to trust you just because you possess no symbiote, nor like you, either. We will keep an eye on you, Ichigo Kurosaki, and your mentor. You both stink of ancient powers that should be left well enough alone."

With that, he turned towards a surprised Daniel and General. Teal'c merely looked intrigued. "We shall explain at the briefing. I believe it is in a half-hour, yes? We would rather say it once, and not have to repeat ourselves."

And the entourage left with a few passing remarks, ("Sleep well!" "When you wake up you can go back to work. Eat the food there on the tray.") leaving the room in silence.

He was so going to hear it from Urahara and Yoruichi later. He just knew it.

* * *

AN2: And chapter: Fin! Hope you enjoyed the super update…I actually got a lot accomplished here. The climax will be coming along soon, then the end of this story…I know, so sad. I have started planning the next story, making this one a prequel, but it is still not even a full rough-draft or chapter outline yet. Lots of work to do…and I want to work on one of my original stories before I work on another fanfiction.

Anyway, as always, if you have any comments or suggestions/corrections, leave a Review! They make my day so much brighter when I see them in my inbox. ^-^


	9. Chapter 9: Problems with History

AN: Yay for another chapter! I'm going to attempt to make this one a bit longer than the others…just bear with me a little. ^-^

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Problems with History and Creativity

_"Hai, Captain-commander. The incident with Kurosaki-kun has been taken care of…I don't think that they really suspect anything, but to be on the safe side we are keeping to ourselves so no other incidents happen. Yes, yes, I know…Oh, someone just came in the lab. Talk to you later, Old-man Yamamoto!" _ Urahara clicked off of the program on the computer that he was using to contact Soul Society just as Sam and her father walked in. It had been several days since the incident with Ichigo, but the Tok'ra still looked at Urahara and Ichigo like they were demons from the deepest pit of hell.

Not that there really were _true_ demons there, according to Kurosaki. Just really twisted spirits.

…or maybe that described Urahara after all. Go figure.

Upon noticing the older Shinigami, the two "humans" stopped talking, but continued into the room. "Hello, Dr. Urahara. My father and I were just wondering how the translations were coming." Sam cocked a hip onto the counter, crossing her arms over her chest. He father choose to stay standing, his very stature screaming "military at-ease." She saw the video-chat program up on his computer, and cocked an eyebrow. "Who were you talking to? Not anyone that we would have to arrest you for, I hope." Her tone was, surprising to Urahara, mostly sincere.

"Ah! It was just an old acquaintance of mine from back home. He was assisting me with the context of a sentence. I must say that he was most interested in how we came about the artifacts, but alas! There was nothing I could tell him other than, 'Nya-nya, I got them fi~rst!'" Urahara swiveled around in his seat so that he was facing the two visitors. "As for how the translations are going, out of the 539 photos that are located on this computer, we have deciphered and translated approximately 215, Ichigo and I. For only being here three weeks, that's not too shabby if I say so myself!" The fan was once more pulled from his sleeve and splayed in front of his face. "As I like to say to a rival of mine back home, 'Kya-ha! My research techniques are better! Eat your heart out, Mayuri!'" The Shinigami started to cackle, his eyes shining from under the brim of his hat. "However, that is beside the point. I think that we have read enough that we can start looking at the actual, physical artifacts that you brought back with you…that is, if it's OK with your people." The fan snapped shut, showing his smiling face.

As Sam looked at the elder Japanese man, she recalled what her father had revealed to them at the briefing so soon after Ichigo's battle with Teal'c.

_They were all sitting at the table in the conference room, waiting for Selmac to answer the questions that the General had asked._

_ Will you tell us what you know about the boy? What is so ancient about a kid so young who is not inhabited by a symbiote?_

_ Sam's father took a deep breath, and let Selmac take control. "I will start with how I learned about the race of creatures known to us as Dis'tra Kalash, or-"_

_ "The Master of One's Soul**…roughly translated." Daniel interrupted, awe in his voice. He had never heard of this aspect of the society of the Goa'uld or To'kra._

_ Selmac nodded his head in Daniel's direction, a small smile curling up the corner of his mouth. "Rightly so. For me it all started when I took my first host. I had been mildly interested in the mythos and histories of our peoples, from before we became two different races. One myth that I found was a very brief story about the great beings whose job it was to carry the souls of our hosts upon death to whatever it is that lay beyond. I believe the closest creature that American culture has is…a Grim Reaper? Yes, a grim reaper. It was how they traversed the many existences that are felt and not felt by our peoples…but that was all I could find on the subject when I was young. Then, about 50 or so years ago, a good friend of mine was delt a mortal wound that even his symbiote could heal. He started to speak in a very, very old language that I later discovered was called Meta'Remoc, 'To say, conclusion of the journey'. Even the name of the language has connotations of death._

_ "Before he breathed his last breath, he looked over my shoulder and said, 'Take me away, Shinigami,' in that long dead language. Not a minute later, a great presence filled the room, much like the one the young Kurosaki exhibited when his other…persona took over. So, armed with this new name for the creatures of death, I did some more research. When I discovered Earth had a culture that spoke of these creatures…and that they were Japanese." Selmac took a deep breath, wondering how he was going to continue. "Eventually, I decided to do a search in the records for all creatures of Death…and discovered that they only started to really become known in the times of the Ancients. They were revered by them, worshiped and praised for their vast knowledge in that which lay beyond our dimension. It was even said that they helped them reach Ascension, but of course we can't verify that without talking to one of the Ascended ourselves." His gaze briefly touched on Daniel, even knowing full-well that the young man had next to no memories of his time on the next plane of existence. "Sorry, I'm getting a bit off-topic. Either way, in those same texts it talks about the Empty Ones, those whose souls could not go on due to either unfinished business and an unwillingness to leave our plane, or being turned into one by another Empty One. They were creatures of hunger, hiding behind masks so their shame couldn't been seen by those they killed and ate. Creatures of animal instinct…and war."_

_ Daniel took a deep breath in, and the sound brought everyone's attention to him. "Sorry…it's just that, when Ichigo was fighting…well, wait. Selmac, did these Empty Ones have black sclera and golden, glowing eyes with bone-like masks?"_

_ The Tok'ra nodded, and Daniel leaned back in his chair. "Well…that's what I saw appear on Ichigo's face when his other personality took over. A skeletal, bone-like mask with two blood-red stripes going from his forehead to his jaw with glowing black and gold eyes. Yet…it was almost like someone was making me hallucinate, because I could see his normal features just fine underneath the mask. And the name Shinigami seems so familiar…" He rubbed his face, then shook his head. "I don't know, my head feels like a jumble of twisted knots."_

_ Selmac gave Daniel a smile. "Do not fret, Daniel. I, personally, have never seen either an Empty One or the Dis'tra Kalash, so I can't verify that that is actually what Ichigo is, but I am very suspicious. We don't know if he is a danger to you or any of your allies. Just watch your backs."_

And, even after discussing other security issues and when the Tok'ra would leave, they were watching their backs, even though it seemed impossible for the eccentric elder Japanese man to be involved in a diabolical plot to end the existence of anything more than rice pudding or a tuna sandwhich.

It took Sam a moment to realize he was waiting on her for a response to his previous question. _Right…looking at the physical artifacts…_ "I don't see what the problem would be with that, though you may want to ask Daniel in case he has things in some specific order."

Jacob smiled. "I would be more than willing to go and fetch the young doctor. I shall return momentarily."

Sam smiled, "Thanks, dad."

As the elder Carter left the room, Sam turned back to Urahara. "So, this friend of yours…does he have a name?"

"Ah, yes! Yamamoto Genryusai, though most of us just call him old man Yamamoto. He is an old dragon, but he knows his stuff. He actually taught _my_ teacher, if that tells you how old he is." Urahara leaned back in the chair, his hands behind his head as he started to rock a bit. He frowned a bit. "Though I guess it's not really that strange…my teacher was nobility, and a crazy old cat at that. However, I don't think that I could love a woman any more than I did her.**" He glanced at Sam's expression. "Oh, you find it surprising that I know nobility? Trust me, it's no one you would know…they have kept their status secret for many, many years. I only know because she got pissed at one of her butlers when I was in the room one day. Never laughed so hard at seeing a man being put in his place by a hand-to-hand combat trained woman."

At this, the door to the lab opened again, and Daniel, Jacob, and Ichigo filed in. "Sorry I wasn't here earlier, even though I was planning on it. Ichigo and I were just talking about the strange script that we found on the artifacts…" he trailed off, noticing Sam's mildly shocked expression. "What's up?"

Sam quickly shut her mouth the rest of the way, and backed—slowly—away from Urahara. "Nothing…I was just leaving. See you guys later!"

Urahara just started to laugh at all the confused expressions, and Ichigo dropped his face into his palm.

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"Hmm…I can see why the technology was having issues. As I'm certain your Sammantha Carter guesses, this produces a…I guess a kind of EMP field around it, I would guess at a constant radius. And this insulation material? I've never seen its like before. Neither the rock. It's very peculiar." Urahara was hunched over the Styrofoam container, all technology within a 15 foot radius cleared out. "Do you see these striations in the rock, though? That means that it is natural, not man-made. The insulation is artificial, some advanced light-weight anti-EMP…well, ceramic, I guess. It's quite extraordinary. Here, Ichigo, take a look and tell me what you see. Why not make this a learning opportunity for the both of us."

Ichigo came over and picked up the smallish shard of rock from Urahara's hand. As soon as his skin came into contact with it, he knew what it was…actually, before. Because the rock never even touched his skin, repelling his reiatsu so that he couldn't even tell what texture the rock was. _Seki-seki…Now to just find out how it got into the World of the Living…_

"Hmm…Oh! Daniel, can we name this stone? Unless, of course, we discover that it is already known by another?"

Daniel looked mildly alarmed. "Why are you asking me? You need to refer to it as something in your notes."

Urahara made a giddy noise, then wheeled around to look at Ichigo. "I will leave that task to you, then, great Idiotic Apprentice! What would you like to call this stone?"

Now it was Ichigo's turn to look stunned. "Uh…"

Urahara frowned. "'Uh' is not an acceptable name for a stone. Please find something else to call it…something…creative."

Ichigo gave his mentor a flat look. "Seriously? Well, fine then. It seems like it was supposed to be a barrier for technology, so why not call it _Seki_?" _Ha, chew on that, Urahara! I will just get even more UN-creative!_

Unfortunatly, Ichigo forgot the fact that the more normal people in the room knew nothing about the real stone. "Wait," Daniel said, being the first to bring attention to this fact. "Doesn't that mean, 'barrier,' in your native language?"

Ichigo blushed, and Urahara laughed. "That it does! Have you been brushing up on you modern Japanese, Daniel-sensei?"

Now it was Daniel's turn to blush lightly. "In what little free time I have, yea. I had never been fluent in Japanese, but I figured it might be nice to put another language besides ones that I can't use in public under my belt." He smiled lightly, thinking, _'It also won't hurt so we can keep an eye on you easier…even though I don't want to trick you.'_

It seemed, though, that Urahara saw through it if his frown was any indication. The expression only stayed on his face for a second when he wheeled around to Ichigo. "Why don't we double up the word and call it '_Seki-seki'_? I like the sound of that." The expression Urahara gave Ichigo said, '_Two can play this game, and I am older and have more experience. Ha!'_ "We should also work on the spoken form of your Ancient Japanese…Oh! Why don't we try to read the next 100 photos aloud! The first one who fails has to buy the other a gift when we get home!"

The dread on Ichigo's face was priceless to Urahara, who carefully concealed his glee behind feigned innocence. "What? Do you not like the idea, Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo sighed. This was going to be one long-ass vacation…why couldn't it be over already?

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AN2: Sorry for the long wait...I hit a bit of writers block for how Selmac explains how he knows what he does. So I plunged through it like a bull in a china shop, and feel that the result was only slightly less disasterous...so sorry if it sucks, but I had to get it out SOMEHOW.

For the Goa'uld language translation( the first **), I went to (removing the spaces and replacing (slash) with / ) w w w . tokra resistance. co m (slash) dictionary. ht ml and played around with some words...

As for the second ** set, I'm a HUGE Urahara/Yoruichi fan...be happy that I have kept out all of my favorite pairing references thus far, and will try to from now on...but I had to have something fill the space from when Jacob left the room to when he came back a short time later with Daniel and Ichigo in tow. Sorry if you don't approve, but this should be the only reference you get in this story.

Good day, and as always, I LOVE reviews!


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